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… and get off in the quaint village of Crail, Scotland along the East Neuk of Fife.It’s a cloudy morning and the world is slowly waking up to ready itself for the day.

The path follows the East Neuk of Fife with Neuk being the old Scots word for corner. The path is well marked and follows the coast along the former Kingdom of Fife. Our views are spectacular with the sea to our left and farm country with livestock on our right.

Memorial flowers lead one to speculate… what happened?

Interesting plaque in Anstruther. The Dreel burn divides east and west Anstruther and the song tells how in ancient times Maggie Lauder carried King James IV over it to keep his feet dry.

We enjoy a beverage with the locals at the old Dreel Tavern. Sadly, it appears as though the Dreel Tavern has become a victim of the times and is now closed for business. Click on the Fife Today link for a little info on the current status of this historic pub filled with a unique ambience and character along with an interesting clientele. Visiting with the locals always seems to make travel experiences more memorable.

Translation: Parents and students in defense of the nusa (neighborhood?) school. We see this as we leave the town of O Pedrouzo. Destination ~ Santiago de Compostela!

The path leads us through wooded areas…

…and small farms

Small hay bundles

The path is now closer to the road.

One last photo opp before we enter the city. Thank you, Random Pilgrim, for taking our picture! Liz and Bryon hiked at our pace so that we could arrive together.

Fence next to the Santiago Airport is full of crosses made from branches. Lavacolla is recognized today more for the name of the international airport than the place where medieval pilgrims came to wash lavar and purify themselves before entering the city.

We still see livestock and small farms.

Wizard of Oz?

Monte do Gozo (Mount Joy) The monument commemorates the visit of Pope John Paul II.

There it is… Santiago! We can see it!

We pass by the ruins of an old church. Spooky…

City limits?

Here we go!

Ta-Dah!! What? Under construction? Seriously? Oh, well…

Might as well drink in the celebration…

Buen Camino! After 165 miles of hiking, we look forward to new adventures and challenges after a good nights sleep. A bunk bed at Roots & Boots is calling my name… hmmm, wonder who our roommates will be tonight?

Meet our Italian friends from the area of Romeo and Juliet. We have absolutely no Italian language skills and they are equally lacking in English-speaking skills. However, we made it work even though Randy was kicking himself for not bringing along a little translator that could help with our communication.

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Google Earth to the rescue! Wonderful group filled with fun and laughter. We will see them often the next few days and share a cheerful greeting: Minnesota! Italia!

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Using a smart phone, they show us their home and we locate our farm zooming in so close we could see the junk behind our grove of trees. Green Acres is the place to be. Too bad Google doesn’t let us know ahead of time so that we can spiff up the yard for the satellite picture.

I may have to learn some Italian in case they come to visit since our address is in their phone.

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What are you looking at?Crazy pilgrims…

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RJMeyerArts

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One cow decides she wants to explore a different path so Randy, the experienced cattle man, blocks the way so she must now follow the rest. Good try, Bossy.

It’s 6:00 a.m., the lights go on along with the repetitive sound of chanting monks wafting throughout the Roncesvalles albergue. (Click on video) No alarm needed when 183 people get ready to start their day.

Our goal today is to get five beds in either Zubiri or Larrasoana which will be between a 22 and 25 km walk. Many pilgrims walking and biking today so we may be homeless, when it’s all said and done. Should we have packed tents, too?

We say our goodbyes to Roncesvalles and start down our path for Camino de Santiago day #3.

The air is crisp and talk is minimal as most put their heads down and concentrate on loosening their muscles for the day. Come on, aspirin, kick in!

The early morning fog creates a surreal feeling.

Time to fortify our lunch supply as we stop at a little grocery store as we near Burguete.

I hope the birds don’t decide that Joan is their lunch, too!

The path continues as farms mix in with the small village buildings.

The first town to appear along our route is Burguete, renowned for its sturdy Pyrenean style farmhouses. The author, Ernest Hemingway, stayed here in 1924 and 1925 while on fishing trips and also describes the village in the book, The Sun Also Rises.

Burguete is a cute little village with flower pots near many a doorway or window sill.

There had once been a witch’s coven in the Burguete area in the sixteenth century. The surrounding forested region, part of the province of Navarre, was known as the Wood of Sorginaritzaga or Oak Grove of the Witches. Medieval people had believed that the presence of a white cross would save them from such evil. Spain had repressed witchcraft in this Auritz-Burguete area and eastward around Roncesvalles more fiercely than anywhere else in the country. Long before the Spanish Inquisition began in 1478, a major raid against witches took place here in 1329. This resulted in the burning of five alleged witches in a village square. ~http://www.heatherconnblogs.com/tag/auritz-burguete/

Our path wanders through pastures as this farmer checks his cattle. Just like home.

The path turns to gravel with rolling hills. Not a bad hike today!

We wind through a small village to find a meticulously stacked woodpile, a clothesline and a neatly placed row of flower pots. To me, that is a beautiful sight and I know I could never stack wood that neatly.

The path becomes more challenging as we proceed to Zubiri.

The views make it worth the walk.

Maybe this should be our mantra today!

Puente de la Rabia ~ Google

We arrive in Zubiri, which means “village of the bridge,” after crossing the Puente de la Rabia (Rabies Bridge). In days gone by, they believed that you could walk a rabid animal three times around the central arch and cure it of rabies. ~Brierley

We are happy to arrive in Zubiri as we hope to stay here, but sad to find that we are homeless…

Hmmm… what to do? Maybe if we walk around the bridge three times we will find beds to sleep in? Well, at least we won’t have rabies.

So much emphasis is placed on “the big day” being such a perfect fairy tale. I hate to rain on your parade, but it is so NOT about that one special day. Every day that follows is just as special.
Prince Charming may appear to be a perfect specimen of a handsome groom on your wedding day, but you know true love when you look at him with love in your eyes when he is head to toe in grease, dirt or manure.
My low keyed, machine shed wedding reception may have lowered the bar for orchestrating a perfect day, but that is who I am and the culmination of days that follow are what have made for a wonderful life.
I witness true love that stands the test of time as I watch my mother-in-law coax her husband of 64 years to eat. The scale reads 114.5, dementia has played havoc with his mind, and his body is worn out. She cannot “fix it” but you can tell by her eyes that she wishes she could. To have a spouse so dedicated is how a fairy tale should end…